How do I remove glue marks from sneakers?

On many sneakers, gently rubbing with a white eraser or a slightly damp cotton swab removes small spots. Always test on a hidden area first.

How do I get rid of the smell on newly arrived clothes?

Wash them before wearing, following the care label, and let them air out. Warehouse or factory smell usually disappears after the first wash.

Should I RL for a crooked print?

If it’s clearly off-centre or visibly tilted, yes, because you can’t fix it. A shift of a few millimetres is usually not noticeable when you wear it.

Minor QC Defects You Can Fix at Home (No Need for an RL)

Plenty of flaws you’ll spot in QC photos aren’t worth sending an item back for. Loose threads, small glue spots on sneakers, packing creases, a factory smell and lint can all be fixed at home in a few minutes, while an RL can add a week or more to your wait and a new round of QC photos. The rule: if you can fix it in under ten minutes and nobody would notice it once it’s done, give it a GL. If it shows when you wear or use the item and you can’t clean or easily sew it, ask for an exchange.

Defects you can easily fix

Defect	Fix at home	Time
Loose threads	Snip close to the fabric with small scissors — don’t pull	2 minutes
Small glue spots (sneakers)	White eraser or slightly damp cotton swab	5 minutes
Packing creases	Wash or iron according to the care label	10 minutes
Factory or warehouse smell	Wash and air out	1 day
Lint and fluff	Lint roller	2 minutes
Cardboard tags and plastic clips	Cut them off carefully	1 minute
Slightly bent shoe box	Nothing — or ask the agent to remove it	0 minutes

Loose threads

Almost every garment has a few. Snip them a couple of millimetres from the fabric. Never pull a thread, because it can unravel a seam. If a thread is attached to an open seam, that’s a different problem (see below).

Glue on sneakers

Glue marks show up mainly along the line where the sole meets the upper. Small, dry spots usually come off with a white eraser or a cotton swab dampened with a little water. On suede or nubuck, use a suede brush instead and go gently. Large glue stains on light leather are harder to remove and may be worth an RL.

Creases and odd shapes

Items are folded tight in plastic bags for shipping. Wash or steam them and they’ll recover their shape. A puffer coat that was vacuum-packed needs a good shake and a day to regain its loft.

Smell

New clothes, shoes and bags often smell of glue, dye or warehouse. Airing them out on a balcony and a normal wash take care of it in most cases.

Defects you can’t fix at home

Open seams in high-stress areas — shoulders, crotch, bag handles.
Large stains or stains on delicate fabrics.
Broken zippers or zippers with missing teeth.
Asymmetric sneakers — one toe box or heel shaped differently.
Cracked or peeling prints.
Wrong size or colour, obviously.

For any of these, read GL or RL: how to decide and use the return template in the agent message generator. Our guide to returns and exchanges covers the rest of the process.

How to tell from the photos

Not every defect is easy to classify from a warehouse shot. A few tips:

Zoom in at full size. A “stain” is sometimes just a shadow or a reflection; a “thread” can be a seam that’s actually open.
Compare both sides. On sneakers, glue on one shoe and not the other is normal; a different shape is not.
Ask for one more photo if you can’t tell. See how to ask for extra photos.

The sneaker checklist and the T-shirt and hoodie checklist mark glue and loose threads as “important” or “minor” rather than “critical”, so they won’t push you to an RL on their own.

A small home kit for fixing QC flaws

You don’t need much to handle the usual minor defects. Keeping a few basics in a drawer means you can deal with a haul the day it arrives instead of putting items aside “for later”.

Item	What it’s for
Small sharp scissors or a seam ripper	Trimming loose threads cleanly
White eraser	Rubbing off small glue spots on leather and synthetic uppers
Cotton swabs	Precise cleaning around soles and stitching
Suede brush	Lifting glue marks and restoring the nap on suede or nubuck
Lint roller	Removing fluff and dust from hoodies and coats
Garment steamer or iron	Getting rid of packing creases
Mild detergent	First wash to remove factory smell

A few practical tips:

Test first. Before cleaning any visible area, try your method on a hidden spot (the inside of the tongue, the underside of a strap).
Read the care label. Many hoodies and coats need cold water and no dryer. Washing too hot can shrink cotton by a size, which is worse than any creases.
Air out bags and shoes. Leave them somewhere ventilated for a day before storing them, especially in winter when apartments are closed up.
Fix it right away. Once an item goes into the closet with a loose thread, it tends to stay that way.

If a fix doesn’t work — the glue won’t come off, the thread turns out to be an open seam — it’s too late for a cheap return, which is exactly why the photo check matters. When in doubt at the QC stage, ask for a close-up and decide with better information.

The practical rule

Question	If yes…
Can I fix it in under 10 minutes?	Lean towards GL
Will it be invisible once fixed?	GL
Will I see it every time I wear or use it?	Lean towards RL
Does it affect how the item works (zipper, strap)?	RL

Accepting small, fixable flaws keeps your haul moving, and it means your parcel can leave the warehouse sooner — handy if you want your order before the first snowfall. Save your RLs for the problems that actually matter.